blood parameters

The pre-weaning period is extremely important for dairy calves due to the close relationship between growth and health during the early stages of life and forthcoming performance as a cow. Nutritional management during the pre-weaning period can have short-term effects on health, mortality rate, growth efficiency, and farm economics, as well as long-term effects on milk production. Fatty acids in mammals serve more than their role as energy sources. For example, butyrate increases the development of rumen papillae and the development of both villi and pancreas. Recent studies have shown that intensive feeding of young calves in the pre-weaning period has a range of long-term positive effects, including reducing the age of insemination and parturition, increasing body weight at parturition, and improving milk production. Different types of fat supplements with different mixtures of fatty acids have been fed to dairy cows. However, a low fat level (about 3%) is recommended for starters. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different levels of a commercial garlic essential oil (consisting of garlic, onion, and leek essential oils) on the growth performance, health, immunity, and blood and rumen parameters of Holstein’s calves.

An experiment was conducted with 40 calves with an average birth weight of 39.2 ± 5 kg and an average age of 6 ± 2 days in a completely randomized design with four treatments and 10 replications from 4 to 65 days of age. The treatments included 1) control treatment (without receiving essential oil), 2) treatment with a level of 30 mg of garlic essential oil, 3) treatment with a level of 60 mg of garlic essential oil, and 4) treatment with a level of 90 mg of garlic essential oil. The milk feeding schedule was constant for treatments, and all calves were weaned on day 65 of age. Calves' body weight was measured at the ages of 0, 30, and 65 days after being fed morning milk. To determine blood parameters, such as glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, the ratio of albumin to globulin, and total lipid, blood samples were taken from the jugular vein and through vacuum tubes containing heparin on days 30 and 65 four hours after the morning feeding. To measure the apparent digestibility of nutrients and to determine pathogens, samples were taken from the feces at the age of 0, 35, and 65 days and from the rectum of the calves. The status of feces consistency and the health of calves (ear position, eye, and nose discharge) was examined daily based on the method introduced by the University of Wisconsin. Data were analyzed using R software and the AOV procedure. Means were compared using Duncan's method.

There was no significant difference in the average feed consumption in the period from 0 to 4 weeks and from 4 weeks to the end of the period. However, feed consumption in the whole period was significantly different between the experimental treatments. As such, a higher amount of feed consumption was observed in the fourth treatment than in the rest of the treatments. The final weight and the daily weight gain of the whole period were significantly different between treatment 4 and the control treatment. The average initial weight of all treatments was 39.2 ± 3.1 kg. There was no significant difference in weight and daily weight gain between treatments at 30 days. However, the final weight and daily weight gain of the entire period was significantly different between treatment 4 and the control. Thus, the highest average final weight and the highest daily weight gain were recorded in the fourth treatment with a level of 90 mg of garlicon essential oil, and the lowest amount belonged to the control treatment. There was no significant difference between experimental treatments in terms of ear score, eye excoriation, nasal discharge score, and stool score. There was no significant difference in the chest width, height from the withers, and body length of the tested calves at the beginning of the period. At 30 days of age, however, there was a significant difference in chest width and body length among experimental treatments. Thus, treatment 4 (with 90 mg of essential oil) presented the highest chest width and body length, and the control treatment showed the lowest chest width (p = 0.0341) and body length (p = 0.0500). Moreover, the results of the data analysis at the end of the period showed a significant difference in the chest width and body length between the treatment with the level of 90 mg of essential oil and the control treatment.

Calves receiving garlicon essential oil with a level of 90 mg showed better performance in feed consumption than the other treatments. Furthermore, the body weight of control calves was lower than the other treatments, indicating the better performance of calves receiving essential oil. The important point obtained from this research is that the use of essential oil in the investigation of antibacterial properties can indicate the potential power of different medicinal plants, especially garlic.

 Wheat grain is normally used for animal feed in some regions, but is seldom used in others. Its nutritional composition is very similar to that of the barley grain commonly used, but there are concerns about its effects on the performance and health of the animals. Wheat seed is one of the grain varieties with the highest amount of protein available for animal feed, exceeding corn. Furthermore, it has a high energy value of 3.0 to 3.5 Mcal of ME (metabolizable energy), which is an important source of energy for animal feed. The most abundant carbohydrate in wheat is starch, a digestible polysaccharide. On the other hand, it is recommended that wheat has a moisture content of less than 14% to avoid problems with digestibility and contamination by mycotoxigenic fungi. Barley is an important grain which is widely used as a source of feed for ruminants. Feed deliveries during the fattening period are the physical processing of the feed. It has been demonstrated that barley starch ferments rapidly in the rumen. The high digestibility of barley has raised concerns regarding acidosis, lameness, liver abscesses, and gastrointestinal abnormalities in ruminants. It is generally considered that the processing of barley grain may be used in the feed industry to adjust the rate of digestion of its nutrients to avoid acidosis. Consequently, the distribution of particle sizes after processing is one of the main factors influencing the rate and extent of digestion of barley (feeding of livestock accounts for 65-70% of the cost of raising livestock). Wheat and barley are used as the predominant source of energy for animal nutrition in most parts of the world. Wheat seed has been used for a long time because of the extensive cultivation and livestock rearing in Iran. The most common way of processing barley and wheat grain in the country is by grinding. Farmers prefer to use whole grains in the production of concentrates, as the concentrate involves the use of crushed grains, but the farmer's wish to use whole grains in the concentrate requires a study and field investigation. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine the effects of the grain size of barley and wheat on the diet of lambs fattening and to compare their effects on growth performance, digestibility, rumination and blood parameters.

 This experiment was carried out in the form of a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of 3×2 with six treatments including 1. Finely milled barley grain with sieve number two, 2. Coarsely milled barley grain with sieve number eight, 3. Unmilled barley grain, 4. Finely milled wheat grain with sieve number two, 5. Coarsely milled wheat grain with sieve number eight, and 6. Unmilled wheat grain. Five fattening lambs aged 4-5 months with almost the same starting weight were allocated to each treatment and a total of 30 male lambs were individually tested for 98 days, including two weeks for acclimatization and 84 days for the remainder of the main test period. The performance of lambs was assessed in this experiment, including average daily feed consumption, daily weight gain, final weight, and feed conversion ratio. Nutrient digestibility was measured by the acid-insoluble ash (AIA) method from day 80 for four days. The digestibility of dry matter organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and neutral detergent fiber was evaluated. Blood parameters were measured including blood glucose, blood cholesterol (LDL-c, HDL-c), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN).

 The results showed that daily weight gain was significant throughout the treatment period and daily weight gain was greater in the treatment group that consumed barley than in the treatment group that consumed wheat (P<0.05). The impact of the grain, the type of processing, and their interaction on feed consumption in all three experimental periods was not significant. Total feed consumption was not significant, but it was significant during the last month of fattening (P<0.05). Lambs consuming barley and wheat milled with sieve number eight had the highest feed consumption compared with the treatment of wheat and barley with sieve number two and whole grains (P<0.05). The feed conversion ratio in treatments receiving wheat was higher than that in those receiving barley (P<0.05). The type of processing had no significant impact on the feed conversion rate (P>0.05). In the study of nutritional behavior, the results showed that the parameters of eating and rumination were higher in the treatments receiving wheat compared to barley (P<0.05). Also, the treatments receiving unmilled barley and wheat (whole grain) showed the highest levels of eating and rumination (P<0.05). The treatments receiving barley and wheat grains with sieve number two also showed the lowest levels of eating and rumination. There were no significant differences in nutrient digestibility, rumination parameters, and blood parameters (P>0.05). Contrary to the view of the farmers that whole grains are better than milled grains, the results showed that overall the use of ground or whole grains did not show a significant difference.

 Overall, the results showed that there was no significant difference between whole grain and milled grain, and even from the point of view of palatability, milled grain with a sieve number 8 had a higher consumption rate than the other treatments. These findings indicate that milled barley grain with a sieve number 8 may be used as a substitute for whole barley grain in the feeding of lambs.

 In ruminants, vitamin B12 is a cofactor for two enzyme systems that are involved in many metabolic processes, such as the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, some amino acids, and DNA. Vitamin B12 in ruminants is synthesized by rumen bacteria or provided by dietary sources. Vitamin B12 deficiency may result in poor growth, anemia, and reduced milk production in lactating animals. In young ruminants such as newborn lambs and calves, the rumen is not fully developed for vitamin B12 synthesis until six to eight weeks of age. This means that during this period, a dietary source of vitamin B12 is necessary. Colostrum, milk, or milk replacers may be used as a source of vitamin B12 in these young ruminants. However, different factors, including nutritional deficiencies, may affect the vitamin B12 content in milk. This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin B12 intramuscular injection on the lactation performance of ewes and on certain blood parameters in their lambs.

 The current research was conducted at the animal husbandry station of Lorestan University.  Twenty early lactating ewes (60±0.50 kg) were selected and allocated to one of the two groups (10 ewes per group). Treatments included 1. Ewes without vitamin B12 injection (control group) and 2. Ewes with a weekly injection of vitamin B12. The first injection of vitamin B12 was given immediately after the ewes were lambed and three further injections were given per week (four injections in total). The amount of vitamin B12 injection was 1 mg intramuscularly in each injection. Milk production was recorded during the 10th, 20th, and 30th days of lactation, and the lambs were separated from their mothers for 12 hours, at which time they were weighed using a digital scale for 10 minutes. The lambs were allowed to use their mother's milk. Immediately after separation from their mother, lambs were weighed again and the difference in weight before and after milk consumption was recorded. The milk composition (including milk protein, milk fat, fat-free solids, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and total unsaturated and unsaturated fatty acids) was measured with DA 7250 NIR Auto-analysis. To check the blood parameters of lambs, blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of newborn lambs at 10, 20 and 30 days of age, and from two separate tubes, one for the count of cells and one for the measurement of serum concentrations of vitamin B12 and other metabolites in the blood. Vitamin B12 concentrations were measured using the Pars Azmoun kit and the ELISA device. The data analysis was carried out with SAS statistical software (version 9.4). The comparison of the means was done using a t-test with a significance level of 0.05.

 Results showed that milk yield in the vitamin B12 group were significantly higher than that in the control group during the four weeks of the experimental period (P<0.05). This increase in milk production can be considered a response to the increased availability of plasma glucose for milk lactose production by increasing plasma vitamin B12 concentration and its vital role, such as participating in many metabolic pathways in the body and acting as an intermediary in the catabolism of some amino acids. However, the percentage of milk compounds, including milk fat, protein, solids not fat, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and saturated fats, was unaffected by the administration of vitamin B12 (P˃0.05). Blood vitamin B12 concentration was significantly higher in vitamin B12 injected ewes compared with the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in growth performance, average wean weight, average birth weight, or daily weight gain of lambs born to vitamin B12-treated ewes compared to control lambs (P>0.05). Injection of vitamin B12 into pregnant ewes had no significant effect on the blood glucose, white blood cells, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cells, or hematocrit percentage of the newborn lambs (P>0.05). Vitamin B12 status in suckling lambs can be related to the rate of transfer of this vitamin through milk during lactation and through the placenta during pregnancy.

 Consequent intramuscular administration of vitamin B12 to ewes at the beginning of lactation may increase milk production and thereby increase the lambs' performance and vitamin B12 concentration in the blood.

Insufficient minerals play a crucial role in various physiological functions such as digestive, and metabolic processes within the body. They act as cofactors in many enzymes and serve as catalysts in enzyme systems. These substances also contribute to the immune system and hormone secretion pathways (Tom et al., 2003). Zinc, copper, manganese, and iron are micro-elements that play essential roles in the growth, development, bone tissue formation, and immunity of broiler chickens (Echeverry et al., 2016; M'Sadeq et al., 2018). Zinc acts as an antioxidant, protecting cell membranes against peroxidation (Olivares et al., 2007). It also exhibits synergistic effects with vitamin E and polyphenols (Wołonciej et al., 2016). Copper is vital for growth, enzyme activity, and reproduction. It plays a significant role in various enzyme activities, such as ceruloplasmin, cytochrome oxidase, and superoxide dismutase, which help protect cells against oxidative stress (Hussein and Staufenbiel, 2012). Iron interacts with other elements, particularly copper, acting as a catalyst in oxidation reactions (Wołonciej et al., 2016). Manganese is also crucial for fetal growth, body weight gain, bone growth, and reproduction (Olgun, 2017).

To investigate the impact of different sources and levels of zinc, copper, manganese, and iron on the performance, blood parameters, and tibia characteristics of broiler chickens during the grower and finisher periods, 1250 broiler chickens from the Ross 308 strain were divided into 10 experimental treatments. Each treatment consisted of 5 replicates with 25 observations in a completely randomized design. The experimental treatments included mineral elements (zinc, copper, manganese, iron) from two organic and inorganic sources at levels of 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120% of the requirements during the grower and finisher periods. Blood samples were collected from two chicks in each replicate at 42 days of age and analyzed for various parameters at the laboratory of Razavi Hospital in Mashhad.

The effects of different levels of organic and inorganic minerals (zinc, copper, manganese, iron) on the performance of Ross 308 broiler chickens during the grower, finisher, and entire experimental periods are presented in Table 2. The results indicated significant effects of different treatments on body weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio across all periods. The highest body weight gain during the grower period was observed in groups receiving 120%, 100%, and 80% of organic mineral requirements and 120% of inorganic requirements. Daily feed consumption was highest in the group receiving 40% of inorganic and organic mineral requirements and lowest in groups receiving 80%, 100%, and 120% of inorganic and 60%, 80%, 100%, and 120% of organic requirements. The feed conversion ratio was significantly higher in groups receiving 40% of organic and inorganic requirements compared to other groups during the grower period. In the finisher period, the highest daily body weight gain was observed in groups receiving 120%, 100%, 80% of organic mineral requirements and 120%, 100% of inorganic mineral requirements. Daily feed consumption was significantly lower in groups receiving 100%, 120% of inorganic mineral requirements and 120%, 100%, 80%, 60% of organic requirements during the finisher period. Throughout the rearing period (11-42 days), daily body weight gain was significantly higher in groups receiving 120%, 100% of organic mineral requirements and 120% of inorganic mineral requirements. Daily feed consumption was highest in the group receiving 40%, 60% of mineral requirements from inorganic sources.

The study results demonstrate that different sources and levels of recommended mineral requirements have significant effects on performance, bone mineral storage, and bone physical properties. The lowest feed conversion ratio during the entire rearing period was observed in groups receiving 80%, 100%, and 120% of the requirements from organic and mineral sources. Daily weight gain was significantly higher in groups receiving 100%, 120% of the recommended requirements of organic minerals compared to other groups. Zinc, copper, manganese, and iron stored in bones were significantly higher in groups receiving 80%, 100%, 120% of the recommended requirements of organic minerals and 100%, 120% of the recommended inorganic requirements. Fracture energy was significantly higher in groups receiving 120%, 100%, 80% organic and inorganic minerals. Based on the findings, it is recommended to use 80% of minerals in organic form due to its high storage capacity in the tibia bone and its ability to achieve performance similar to 100% and 120% of the requirements from organic and inorganic sources.

An experiment was executed to determine the effects of replacing wheat straw with soybeans straw on feed intake,An experiment was executed to determine the effects of replacing wheat straw with soybeans straw on feed intake, digestibility, feeding behavior and blood parameters in Atabai ewes. A total of eighteen non-pregnant with third pregnancy at the age of 4-5 years and weighing 36±  2.4kg were assigned assingned randomly to one of three treatment groups, having six animals each, for 6 weeks' experimental period. The dietary treatments included 0, 50% and 100%, substitution of soybean straw instead of wheat straw. The weight of the ewes was recorded at the beginning and end of the period. Feces and feed samples were collected on days 38 to 41 for three days in order to determine digestibility. Blood sampling was done on day 42 before morning feeding. On the 36th and 37th days, the activities related to the ewes' rumination behavior were carried out 24 hours a day on both days. According to the results, the treatments do not have a significant difference in feed conversion ratio, daily weight gain and dry matter consumption, also, no significant difference was observed among the experimental treatments in terms of digestibility, in general, there is a significant change in feeding behavior by changing the levels of soybeans in the diets of the treatments. Rumination, eating, chewing, jaw rest, drinking water, abnormal behavior in standing and lying down did not occur, and were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea nitrogen, protein, albumin and globulin levels were remained unaffected by replacing wheat straw with soybean straw (P>0.05). These finding suggest that soybean straw can be used as fodder to replace wheat straw in feeding ewes.

Newborn calves have special needs to accelerate their growth performance and improve their immune systems. Minerals are one of the most important metabolic improvers that can help the health of calves at overnutrition levels. Manganese is a necessary trace mineral that is a key ingredient in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and, proteins, as well as playing an important role as a cofactor in the activity of several enzyme systems such as superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity, bone development (mucopolysaccharide synthesis) and blood cell regeneration. Manganese plays several important roles in the immune system, including its involvement in antioxidant pathways, its contribution to phagocytic activity, and its role in maintaining the structural integrity of epithelial barriers against infections. Manganese can be supplemented in both inorganic and organic forms, each with differing levels of bioavailability and absorption. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the impact of milk enrichment with manganese supplements, in both organic and inorganic forms, on the performance, biochemical and antioxidant parameters, and feeding behavior of suckling calves.  24 newborn calves were randomly divided into 3 groups with 8 replications. Experimental treatments include: 1) control group (without manganese supplementation), 2) Adding mineral manganese supplement to milk consumption and 3) Adding organic manganese supplements to milk consumption. The amount of manganese used in the milk of each calf was 30 mg per day. Manganese is dissolved in milk and consumed by calves. Calves were milked twice in the morning and evening and had free access to water and starter feed during the day. The length of the trial period was 63 days. Calves were weighed every 21 days. The amount of feed consumed and post-feed was recorded daily. To measure blood metabolites including biochemical parameters, concentration of blood elements, antioxidant status and activity of liver enzymes, blood samples were taken from calf vein on day 60. Finally, during the 61st to 63rd days of the experimental period, nutritional behaviors were measured for a duration of 48 hours. Data analysis was done using SAS statistical software version 9/1 (2004) and comparisons of means were done with Tukey's test at a significance level of 5 percent. The obtained results showed that the calves fed with milk enriched with manganese in organic and inorganic forms compared to the calves of the control group, a significant improvement in final weight, period weight gain, daily weight gain and dry matter consumption was observed. The use of organic and inorganic forms of manganese in the feeding of suckling calves did not have a significant effect on the feed conversion ratio of the calves. There was no significant effect on the amount of iron, zinc, copper, calcium and phosphorus of different treatments. The amount of plasma manganese in the treatment using organic manganese was associated with a significant increase compared to the treatment using inorganic manganese and the control treatment. The use of organic and mineral sources of manganese in the feeding of calves had no significant effect on triglyceride, cholesterol, urea, globulin and the ratio of albumin to globulin in the blood of calves. Organic and mineral sources of manganese increased the amount of glucose, total protein and albumin in the blood, so that the most significant increase was seen in the treatment of organic manganese users. Inorganic and organic forms of manganese did not cause significant changes in the amount of malondialdehyde, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase in the blood of supplement consuming groups. In treatments using manganese, there was a significant decrease in total antioxidant status and a significant increase in the amount of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and alanine aminotransferase. The use of manganese supplement in organic and inorganic forms had no effect on the nutritional behaviors of calves such as milking, feeding, rumination, jaw rest, drinking water, unusual behavior, standing and lying down. Enriching milk with manganese supplement in organic and inorganic forms improved performance, weight gain, dry matter intake, total antioxidant status, and catalase and alanine aminotransferase and biochemical status in groups consuming milk containing manganese. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to supplement the milk of newborn calves with 30 mg of organic manganese. Organic manganese showed improved effects on key parameters, including plasma manganese concentration, glucose levels, total protein, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity.

Milk contains a relatively small amount of iron, and one of the most important negative aspects of milk nutrition is the occurrence of digestive diseases, such as diarrhea. Its iron concentration is in the range of 0.3-0.6 mg/kg. Calves are prone to iron deficiency. Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, myoglobin, and several enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, and cytochrome oxidase. In the early stages of life, calves do not have a functional rumen, and it seems that they are more like monogastric animals that must obtain the nutrients they need. They also suffer from a lack of immune systems. Therefore, this condition exposes them to critical challenges, mainly the risk of disease and death. Iron requirements of animals vary depending on their age, sex, and physiological stages. The iron requirement for calves is estimated to be around 100 ppm, and it is generally believed that young cows need more iron than mature animals. In most dairy farms, iron supplements are added to the diet from an inorganic source, which can undergo oxidation and react with other substances, thereby decreasing solubility. For the purposes of animal nutrition and increasing bioavailability, this research focuses on the use of chelates or preparations of protein iron. By using additives containing iron compounds, bioavailability can be increased by chelation, which consists of a double covalent bond of the metal with amino acids. To solve this problem, the desired elements should be added to the diets of livestock in the form of chelated supplements. This research was designed to investigate the effect of a chelated iron supplement containing organic acids and amino acids on the performance, digestibility of nutrients, feeding behaviors, and blood parameters of weanling calves.

Thirty-six newborn male calves (with an average weight of 35.1 ± 2.7 kg) were randomly divided into three groups with 12 replications. Experimental treatments were a control group (without iron supplementation), diets supplemented with 50 mg of chelated iron based on organic acids per calf per day, and diets supplemented with 50 mg of chelated iron based on amino acids per head of calf per day. First, all the calves were carefully examined to ensure their health and performance. The duration of the experiment was 63 days. Calves were weighed every 21 days, and the amount of consumed feed was recorded daily after 16 hours of starvation after feeding using a digital scale. The feed consumption of each animal was also calculated from the difference in the given diets and the remaining manger of each animal. The increase in the amount of feed given to the animals was determined based on the feed of each animal on the following day. The feed of the animal would increase if the animal left less than 10% feed on three consecutive days. Diets were adjusted based on NRC (NRC, 2001) completely mixed, and provided to the calves two times: 8 in the morning and 4 in the evening. Animals had free access to water. Calves were also milked twice in the morning and in the evening (at the rate of 10% of body weight). For the samples of digestibility, the samples of feed, residues, and feces were first collected from each animal on days 58 to 63 for 5 days. To measure blood metabolites, blood was sampled from the calf's jugular vein on day 63. Blood samples were transferred into anticoagulant-containing tubes. To prepare plasma, blood samples were centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min, and plasma samples were transferred to -20 °C until analysis. During days 61 to 63 of the experimental period, nutritional behaviors, including eating, resting, chewing, standing, and ruminating activities, were measured visually for all animals every 5 min for 48 hours.

The calves receiving chelated iron supplements containing amino acids showed increases in final weight (P = 0.0496), total period weight (P = 0.0198), and daily weight (P = 0.0212) and a decrease in feed conversion ratio (P = 0.0413) compared to the control group and the treatment receiving chelated iron supplements containing the organic acids. There were no significant differences in dry matter and milk consumption among different treatments. Nutrient digestibility and feeding behaviors were not affected by experimental treatments. The consumption of iron supplements by calves in both chelated forms containing organic acids and amino acids increased the amount of blood iron (P = 0.0379), ferritin (P=0.0011), unsaturated iron binding capacity (P=0.0428), transferrin (P = 0.0331), red blood cells (P = 0.0333), hemoglobin (P = 0.0290), and hematocrit (P = 0.0001). Receiving chelated iron supplements decreased the total antioxidant index (P = 0.0001) and total iron binding capacity (P = 0.0001) compared to the control group.

According to the results of this research, it is recommended to provide chelated iron containing amino acids due to improving the performance of suckling calves.

The nutritional value of corn industrial products is very important and it is one of the valuable sources of organic materials for industrial usage. Starch, animal feed, sugar syrup and oil are extracted from corn in starch factories. Residues from food industries are among the industrial wastes that can be consumed by animals. In extracting starch and preparing glucose from corn, some by-products are obtained which are suitable for animal feeding. Among these products, the corn steep liquor is more taken into consideration. Corn steep liquor, which is produced during the wet milling process of corn kernels to extract corn starch and oil, is a relatively cheap, tasty and easily available product for animals and it has potential to be used as a feedstuff in ruminants due to its proper energy and protein content and low fiber concentration. Corn liquor, is a viscous liquid with a light to dark brown color which has a smell similar to silage and acidic pH, 3.86, which can be used in animal feed. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of corn steep liquor replaced for soybean meal on feed intake and ruminal fermentation of lactating Dalagh ewes. Twenty one ewes with parity 3 (average weight of 36±3.7 kg) were used in 3 treatments and 7 repetitions in the form of a completely randomized design. The treatments included: 1) control, 2) diet containing 4 percent of corn steep liquor of DM and 3) diet containing 8 percent of corn steep liquor of DM.
The results showed that dry matter intake increased with the increase of dietary corn steep liquor level (P≥0.05). There was no significant difference in rumen pH and protozoa population. Rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration increased with the increase of corn steep liquor level in the diet (P≥0.05). There was no significant difference in the concentration of butyrate, isovalerate, valerate and the ratio of acetate to propionate in the rumen among the experimental treatments. However, with the increase in the dietary level of corn steep liquor, the concentrations of propionate increased and the concentration of acetate and total volatile fatty acids decreased in the rumen (P≥0.05). Blood cholesterol concentration was not significantly different between different treatments; but total protein, urea nitrogen, triglyceride and blood glucose concentrations increased with increasing the level of corn steep liquor in the diet (P≥0.05).
According to the results, it can be recommended to add corn steep liquor to animal rations up to the level of 200 grams per kilogram of dry matter consumed.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of fermented sesame meal on performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters, immunity and bone mineralization in broiler chickens. A total of 525 broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 7 treatments with five replicate per each. Lactobacillus plantarum PTCC1058 and Bacillus subtilis PTCC1156 in combination with Aspergillus niger PTCC5010 were used to ferment sesame flour. ​Experimental treatments included a basal diet and basal diet containing 6 or 12% fermented sesame meal and 6 or 12% untreated sesame meal with or without phytase enzyme. The treatment containing 6% USM+phytase enzyme and 12% FSM showed the highest weight gain during the starter and total phases in broilers, respectively (P<0.05). During total phase, feed conversion ratio improved in broilers fed diets containing 6 and 12% FSM and USM+phytase (P<0.05). The highest and lowest blood glucose concentrations were observed in the treatments containing 6% USM + phytase enzyme and 12% USM + phytase enzyme, respectively (P <0.05). The results of antibody titer against Gamboro and bronchitis showed that there was a significant difference in the titer against Gamboro between experimental treatments (p<0.05). The highest percentage of ash, phosphorus and calcium was observed in the treatment containing 6% FSM (P<0.05). The general result of the present study showed that the processing of sesame meal by fermentation method improved growth prformance and increased the level of antibody titer against Gamboro disease in broiler chickens. In addition, Phytase supplement in sesame meal diets improved bone mineralization in broilers.

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of different levels of dietary fat and vitamin E on the growth performance and blood parameters of Japanese quail. The experiment was conducted with 320 pieces of one-day-old quail in the form of a completely randomized design with 20 experimental units including 5 groups, 4 replications and A number of 16 pieces of quail chicks were performed in each repetition. The experimental groups include: 1) base diet (control), 2) base diet containing 2% soybean oil, 3) base diet containing 2% tallow oil, 4) base diet containing 2% soybean oil and 200 mg/kg vitamin E, 5) base diet They contained 2% tallow oil and 200 mg/kg vitamin E. The results showed that the treatment containing 2% tallow oil and vitamin E increased the weight of the birds compared to the control treatment (P<0.05). The lowest feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were observed in the birds that received the groups containing soybean oil or tallow along with vitamin E. Persistence percentage was not affected by experimental groups (P<0.05). The highest level of production index was related to the birds fed with the level of two percent tallow oil and E. The effect of experimental groups on blood parameters including total protein, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL was not significant (P<0.05). In general, the use of two percent tallow oil along with vitamin E in the diet of birds improved the performance of quails.

The development of nanotechnology has led to the production of zinc nanoparticles, which possess unique characteristics such as a wider contact surface, higher surface activity, higher catalytic efficiency and stronger absorption ability. This combination has the potential to improve the growth of rumen bacteria and enhance energy consumption. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the effect of zinc nanoparticle supplementation on dry matter intake, milk composition and blood parameters in Holstein dairy cows.

The number of 24 Holstein dairy cows with an average weight (650±20 kg) and the number of calving bellies (2 and more) and lactation days (70±4 days) during a 35-day trial period, 4 trial diets including. The treatments: 1) Basal Diet containing 30 mg/KgDM zinc oxide, 2) Basal Diet + containing 30 mg/KgDM ZnO-NPs, 3) Basal Diet + containing 60 mg/KgDM ZnO-NPs, and 4) Basal Diet + containing 90 mg/KgDM ZnO-NPs. The study followed completely randomized design Zinc nanoparticles were produced in the laboratory using the by co-precipitation method. The cows were milked and fed three times a day. Feed samples and residues were collected twice a week. Milk samples were collected weekly for three consecutive days. To measure, Milk composition, Blood samples were taken weekly two hours after the morning meal using a vacuum syringe from the tail vein to measure serum parameters.

The results showed that the dry matter intake and the amount of milk production were not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05). The number of body cells significantly decreased under the influence of ZnO-NPs nanoparticle consumption (P<0.05). They were not affected by the consumption of ZnO-NPs particles (P>0.05). Cows in the ZnO-NPs nanoparticle group showed higher concentration of SOD enzyme than the base group (P<0.05). Other compounds measured from the serum of cows were not significantly different among the experimental groups (P>0.05).

Overall, feeding zinc nanoparticles to dairy cows can be suggested as a solution to enhance of the dairy herd management.. The results showed that nano zinc sources in the diet of dairy cows were more suitable as a supplement compared to the mineral form of zinc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Oxidative stress is inevitable in broiler chicken production, and it affects the physiological, behavioral, and biochemical status of growing chicken which ultimately deteriorates meat quality. The imbalance among free radicals and antioxidant enzymes within living cells or tissues leads to the oxidation of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids and is a fundamental cause of oxidative stress. When the antioxidant mechanism within living cells weakens, the production of free radicals increases under physiological oxygen metabolism, and reactive species (i.e., reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species) are needed in cells in small quantities because they function as signaling molecules during homeostasis. However, excessive production of these species leads to oxidative stress. There is a mechanism in living cells to reduce the number of oxidative species through physiological scavenging. Numerous reactive oxygen species such assuperoxide and hydrogen peroxide are produced during oxygen metabolism. In addition, some reports showed that after the occurrence of oxidative stress, there are severe inflammatory reactions in the cells involved, which can lead to greater tissue damage and activate tissue apoptosis. Oxidative stress plays an essential role in the emergence of a number of chronic disorders such as diabetes and cancer by inducing inflammation. To protect against free radicals, living organisms have a combined antioxidant defense system including enzymatic system (such as glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzymes in the cytosol and cell membrane structure) and a non-enzymatic system (such as glutathione, polyphenol, carotenoids, special dipeptides, proteins containing thiol group, polyamines, ubiquinol, flavonoids, bilirubin, uric acid, vitamin E with selenium, and vitamin C) in tissues. Black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa) have been used as alternative medicine for more than 2000 years due to their multisystemic positive effects. Many active components of black cumin have been identified, including dithymoquinone, thymoquinone, nigellone, thymohydroquinone, nigilline, melanthin, nigelamine, damascenone, pinene, and p-cymene. Black cumin contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, cobalt, zinc, and manganese, and vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. Moreover, black cumin is rich in essential oils, proteins, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. The black cumin has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anthelmintic, hypocholesteremia, appetite stimulant, antidiarrheal, diuretic, antiulcer, spasmolytic and bronchodilatory, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and renal protective activities and has antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of black cumin on growth performance, antioxidant status, inflammatory responses, and biochemical and hematological changes in broilers under oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide.

A total of 200 one-day-old chickens (Ross 308) were reared in the form of a completelyrandomized design with four treatments and five replications (10 chickens per replicate). Experimental treatments included: 1. Control group (fed with basic diet), and groups 2, 3, and 4 had levels of 50, 100, and 150 g of black seed per kg of diet. To induce oxidative stress, all birds received 1% hydrogen peroxide per liter of drinking water from 14 to 42 days of age. At 42 d, two birds were randomly selected from each cage and after blood sampling from the wing vein, were killed and dissected for liver and spleen tissue sampling. Growth performance, blood and biochemical parameters such as the number of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, heterophil and lymphocyte, serum triglyceride, and cholesterol, as well as serum antioxidant parameters including the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, were determined. In addition, liver enzymes present in the serum including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured. Also, to evaluate the effect of black cumin on the inflammatory response of broiler chickens under induced oxidative stress, serum interleukins including IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α were measured.

The results showed that black seed supplementation in chickens under induced oxidative stress significantly improved the growth performance, increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and decreased MDA in serum, liver tissue, and spleen (P<0.05). Black seed supplementation significantly decreased serum levels of inflammatory cytokines of IL-6 and TNF-α, and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine of IL-10 (P<0.05). Also, black seed supplementation did not affect red blood cells, hematocrit, or hemoglobin, but increased white blood cells, lymphocytes, and decreased blood heterophils (P<0.05). Serum levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, ALT, AST, and ALP also decreased significantly under the influence of black seed.

Based on the results of this experiment, it appears that black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed supplement can improve the growth performance of broiler chickens due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

In the past, the use of valine (L-Val) in broiler feeds was limited due to its high price and relatively low availability. However, L-Val is becoming more available for the feed industry, resulting in a more viable price, leading to its inclusion in feed formulas. Moreover, to decrease the dietary content of crude protein, the use of L-Val in broiler diets is becoming more attractive. Arian broiler is one of the meat strains that originated in Iran and considering that several decades have passed since the arrival of the Arian line in our country. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out continuous nutritional experiments to more accurately meet the requirement of Arian broiler with regard to optimizing growth, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and carcass efficiency by increasing the density of nutrients such as amino acids (AA). Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different ratios of dietary valine-to lysine on growth performance, blood parameters, immune system, carcass characteristics and economic indicators in Arian broiler chickens.

This experiment was conducted for 40 days with three satges: starter (0-14 days old), growth (15-25 days old) and finisher (26-40 days old). In this study, a total of 500 Arian strain day old broiler chicks were used in a completely randomized design with five treatments, five replicates and 20 birds per each. Feed intake and body weight were measured at the end of each rearing periods and FCR was calculated. The experimental groups included: first group: control (-75; 75% ratio of valine to lysine without using synthetic L-Val), second group: +80 (ratio of 80% valine to lysine using synthetic L-Val), third group: +85 (ratio of 85% valine to lysine using synthetic L-Val), fourth group: -80 (ratio of 80% valine to lysine without using synthetic L-Val and fifth group: -85 (ratio of 85% valine to lysine without using synthetic L-Val). At 40 days of age, six birds from each replicate were randomly selected, weighed, and killed).

Results and Disscution: 

Results showed that diets with ratios of -80 and -85% valine amino acid increased body weight at the age of 0 to 42 days (P<0.05). The diets with a ratios of -85% valine amino acid increased feed intake during the total period of experiment (P<0.05). The intake of diets with ratios of -80 and -85% valine amino acid improved FCR and decreased abdominal fat (P<0.05). The level of albumen and total protein in control treatment were higher than in all experimental groups (P<0.05). Significant differences were not observed in relative size of spleen and bursa of fabricius, antibody titer against Newcastle disease and heterophile to lymphocyte ratio between experimental groups.

The results showed that feeding a diet containing -85% valine amino acid was more obvious on performance in the entire rearing periods, and also will improve serum lipid parameters, reduce fat storage in the abdominal area and increase profitability. Finally, the economic calculations of the project showed that it is possible to use the advantage of using synthetic valine amino acid in ration of Arian broilers.

Today, the use of enzymes to improve feed digestibility and achieve higher productivity has been considered as an effective strategy in the poultry industry. Phytase is an enzyme that is used in most commercial diets with the aim of breaking the bonds of phytic acid to increase the digestibility and absorption of nutrient. On the other hand, by carrying out breeding programs and subsequently reducing resistance to diseases due to the shift of nutrient for more production, more attention has been paid to immunity system and gut health. Therefore, gut health has a key role in the absorption of nutrient resulting from the activity of endogenous and endogenous enzymes. Hence, research in term of gut health modifiers such a prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, parabiotics and essential oils have increased. Among them, phytogenics have become more popular nowadays. Phytogenic supplements are known as their role on growth performance and increase profitability through improving microbiota balance and intestinal health. In addition to dietary phtoygenic supplemets, dietary calcium and phosphorus reduction is probablely effective tool led to phytase activity released nutrient. Results from studies have been showed that, slight decrease in the level of calcium and phosphorus is effective in increasing the efficiency of these mineral and gut health via reducing gut acidity. In the present study, effect of high amounts of phytase in combination with phytogenic additive in diets with reduced calcium and phosphorus on nutrient digestibility, humoral immunity and some related blood parameters of broiler chickens were investigated.

The 672 one-day-old male broilers of Ross 308 strain were assigned to 12 dietary treatments and four replicats in a 2x2x3 factorial arrangement with different amounts of phytase (zero, 500 and 2000 FTU) and two levels of phytogenic supplement (zero and 200 mg/kg of feed) on two dietary calcium (normal=0.81, 0.72, 66%; reduced=0.71, 0.62 and 0.56% for different phases) and phosphorus (normal = 0.36, 0.32 and 0.29%; reduced=0.31, 0.27 and 0.24% for different phases) in a completely randomized design.

Addition of phytase to the diets in combination to calcium and phosphorus reduction increased phosphorus digestibility compared to that normal diets (P<0.05). Increasing phytase from 0 to 500 and 2000 FTU increased digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, phosphorus, calcium and protein (P<0.05). The interaction effect of adding phytase enzyme along with decreasing the amount of calcium and phosphorus on the digestibility of calcium and phosphorus were significant (P<0.05), and the inclusion of phytogenic supplement at the levels of 500 and 2000 FTU of phytase per kg of feed increased phosphorus digestibility (P<0.05). Decreasing dietary calcium and phosphorus concentration and adding phytogenic additive, improved nutrient digestibility of nutrients except protein (P<0.05). Inclusion 2000 FTU of phytase in diets increased digestibility of nutrients and decreased blood calcium compared to the usual amount and diet without phytase (P<0.05). The blood concentratin  of alanine aminotransferase reduced by 2000 FTU of phytase compared to 0 and 500 FTU (P<0.05). Dietary addition of phytase decreased alkaline phosphatase (P<0.05). High levels of phytase inceasded total serum immunoglobulins at the age of 28 and 41 days compared to the zero level (P<0.05), but there was no difference compared to the 500 FTU. Addition of phytase or phytogenic supplement improved antibody level against Newcastle at the age of 41 days (P<0.05).

Based on the results of this research, 2000 FTU phytase compared to 500 FTU and adding phytogenic supplement had positive effects on nutrient digestibility, growth performance and immunity in broilers.

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effect of different levels of a type of mineral ‎biochar obtained from Kohbanan mine in Kerman on the performance, digestibility, blood ‎parameters and ruminal fermentation of suckling Holstein calves in an industrial cattle farm. For this ‎purpose, 35 Holstein calves with an average weight of 48.88 ± 4.87 were used in a completely ‎random design in five treatments and seven replications.The experimental rations include: 1) milk ‎and ‎starter feed (basal ration), 2) basal diet with 10 g of mineral biochar mixed in the starter feed, 3) ‎‎basal diet with 10 g of mineral biochar dissolved in milk, 4) basal diet with 20 g of ‎mineral biochar ‎mixed in the initial feed, 5) basal diet with 20 g of mineral biochar ‎dissolved in milk. Consumption ‎of 20 grams of biochar in the initial feed increased the daily weight and improved the average feed ‎conversion coefficient . The highest amount of blood glucose and albumin concentrations ‎was related to calves fed with 20 g of biochar in ‎the initial feed. Calves consuming 10 and ‎‎20 g of biochar in the starter feed had the ‎highest apparent digestibility of nutrients. ‎Calves fed with 20 g of biochar in the initial ‎feed had higher rumen pH than the other calves. Therefore, the addition of 20 g mineral biochar to the starter diet of Holstein calves is ‎recommended because of its positive effects on performance, digestibility blood parameters and ‎rumen fermentation.‎

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal with corn germ meal in diet on feed intake, rumen parameters and blood metabolites of Atabai fattening lambs. Thirty lambs (with an average weight of 32±2.7 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 repetitions. The lambs of the control group were fed with the feed without corn germ meal. Other groups were fed by replacing 50% and 100% of soybean meal with corn germ meal in the diet for 84 days. Results showed that there was no significant difference between the experimental treatments in the final weight of lambs and dry matter intake (P>0.05). No significant difference was observed in protozoa population, pH and volatile fatty acids among different treatments (P>0.05). Also, there was no significant difference in rumen ammonia nitrogen during fasting and six hours after morning feeding (P>0.05). However, rumen ammonia nitrogen increased 3 hours after morning feeding (P<0.05). Among the different treatments, there was no significant difference in blood glucose, cholesterol, globulin, albumin-globulin ratio (P>0.05), but replacing soybean meal with corn sprout meal increased the concentration of triglyceride, urea, total proin, and high-density lipoprotein. Low and very low density lipoprotein and decrease of lipoprotein increased with density (P<0.05). In general, corn germ meal can be completely replaced with soybean meal without affecting the health and production of fattening lambs.

In the dairy cattle industry, the fertility trait is one of the most effective economic components, because the reduction of fertility prolongs the postpartum cycles and increases the costs of open days. Probiotics, prebiotics and microbial products such as bioactive peptides, enzymes and organic acids can be mentioned among the additives that affect reproduction. Probiotics are bacteria and yeast that are beneficial for the health of the body, especially the digestive system. New generation probiotics, besides yeasts, contain some bacteria, including types of bacilli, lactobacilli, streptococcus, etc., which are less studied. Recently, a supplement called Multiact D has been produced by Ariana Biotechnology Supplement Development Company, which claims to be effective on the health and reproductive performance of dairy cows. The aim of this study was to evaluate Multiact-D supplement containing prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic (manufactured by Ariana Biotechnology Company) on milk production and composition, blood parameters and reproduction in Holstein dairy cows.

Cows were studied in two groups of 50 treated rats (received 80 grams of Multiact supplement daily) and control between 20 and 100 days after calving. Once every month, the amount of milk produced and its ingredients were measured. Blood samples were collected on days 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 from 9 cows in each group and blood parameters were analyzed. Reproductive traits include the number of days until the first insemination, the number of inseminations per pregnancy, the percentage of pregnancy compared to the first insemination and total inseminations (percentage of conception), the percentage of pregnancy up to 100 days of lactation, the percentage of pregnancy up to 120 days of lactation, the percentage of infertility at 200 days and days. Re-registered. SAS software was used to analyze reproductive data.

The results showed that milk production, milk protein percentage, milk protein amount, milk lactose amount and body condition score were all increased in the treatment group, and milk fat percentage, total milk solids percentage, milk urea nitrogen decreased (0.5 0>P). Also, the concentration of total protein and iron increased in the treatment group, but the concentration of cholesterol and MDA decreased (P<0.05). In the treatment group, the percentage of pregnancy increased up to the 120th day of lactation and the number of open days decreased (P<0.05).

The use of Multiact-D supplement in the early lactation period had beneficial effects on the lactation performance and reproduction of Holstein P dairy cows. It also has effects on the concentration of blood parameters of Holstein dairy cows and reduces the level of oxidative stress.

Considering the costs of providing feed for feeding ruminants, agricultural by-products, which are generally cheaper than conventional feeds, can be included in the diet of fattening animals, which will reduce production costs. One of these agricultural by-products is cotton waste from cotton ginning factories, which due to its plant origin and as a source of protein, fat and raw fibers, this product has the ability to be used as an alternative feed in the diet of fattening animals. This edible material is a mixture of woody parts of cotton bolls, stems, remnants of cotton fibers and leaves.This study was conducted to investigate the effects of substituting different levels of cotton waste for dried alfalfa on growth performance, quantitative and qualitative carcass traits, apparent digestibility, blood parameters, and liver enzymes Afshari lambs.

In this study, 24 male Afshari lambs with an mean weight of 30±1.9 kg and an mean age of 4 months were used in 4 treatments and 6 repetitions for 90 days. The experimental treatments included: 1) control group, 2) diet containing 33.33% cotton waste, 3) diet containing 66.66% cotton waste, 4) diet containing 100% cotton waste instead of dry alfalfa. Growth performance traits including daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio were measured during the experiment period. Also, at the end of the experiment, three lambs from each treatment were slaughtered to measure the quantitative and qualitative traits of the carcass. On the 90th day of the experiment, blood samples were taken from five lambs from each treatment to measure blood parameters and liver enzymes..

The growth performance results showed that replacing 100% of cotton waste instead of dried alfalfa (1890 gr) in the diet of fattening lambs significantly increased the daily feed intake compared to the control group (P<0.05). The feed conversion ratio in the treatment containing 100% replacement of cotton waste instead of dried alfalfa (6.70) was significantly reduced compared to the control group (P<0.05). The final live weight in treatments where cotton waste was replaced by dried alfalfa was higher than the control group (P<0.05). Also, the treatment containing 100% replacement of cotton waste instead of dried alfalfa had a higher final weight (56.22 kg) than the control group and other groups. Apparent digestibility of crude fat (75.11%), NDF (69.31%) and ADF (30.32%) in the treatment containing 100% replacement of cotton waste instead of dried alfalfa compared to the control group It increased significantly (P<0.05). The concentration of blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and VLDL in blood serum increased with consumption of cotton waste (P<0.05); But the concentration of HDL decreased (P<0.05). A decrease in cholesterol and blood urea nitrogen was observed by replacing 33.33% of cotton waste (P<0.05). The live weight before slaughter, hot carcass weight, hot carcass percentage, cold carcass weight, cold carcass percentage, cold half carcass weight, thigh percentage and head percentage in the treatment containing 100% replacement of cotton waste instead of dried alfalfa increased significantly compared to the control group. had (P<0.05).

The general result of the present study showed that replacing 100% of cotton waste instead of alfalfa improved the growth performance, quantitative traits of the carcass and the apparent digestibility of nutrients.

Recently, nanoparticles have been produced and marketed using nanotechnology. Reducing the size of particles to nanoparticles (size less than 100 nm) increases the surface-to-volume ratio and changes other material properties. Increasing the contact surface in nanoparticles causes their interaction with organic and inorganic molecules to be done differently. Among the minerals, copper is an essential, scarce element that performs various functions in living organisms. It has been reported that copper nanoparticles have beneficial effects on animal performance and can replace copper sulfate. Also, nano copper oxide has several advantages over copper sulfate, including improved effectiveness, lower dosage with better results, no interference with other materials, and less disposal in the environment, and can replace copper sulfate. High copper in the diet has benefits such as antibacterial activity, increasing growth hormone secretion, increasing feed intake and production performance. However, environmental pollution and subsequent accumulation in feed and water can affect vital organs such as the liver and kidney.The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different copper forms and levels (copper nano oxide and copper sulfate) on performance, blood parameters and immunity in Romanov-Moghani crossbred lambs.

This research was conducted using 30 lambs in the form of a completely randomized design with 5 experimental groups and 6 replications (lambs) in each group. The duration of the experiment was 56 days. The experimental diets of this research include: 1) basal or control diet (CON; without copper supplementation), 2) basal diet + 10 mg of copper per kg of dry matter in the form of copper sulfate (CuS10), 3) basal diet + 20 mg of copper per kg of dry matter in the form of copper sulfate (CuS20), 4) basal diet + 10 mg of copper per kg of dry matter in the form of copper nano oxide (CuN10), 5) basal diet + 20 mg of copper per kg of dry matter in the form of copper nano oxide (CuN20). Lambs were randomly grouped based on body weight and each group was fed with one of 5 experimental diets. On the 30th and 56th days of the experimental period, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein 3 hours after the morning meal. Next, after separating serum and plasma, the samples were kept at -20◦C until the analysis. The determined blood parameters include the concentration of copper, zinc, selenium, malondialdehyde, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, albumin, urea, beta-hydroxybutyrate, liver enzymes (ALT and AST). Total antioxidant capacity, activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes were also determined.After killing the animals, meat samples were taken from the 12-13 intercostal eye muscle to determine the concentration of copper, zinc and selenium elements, and liver samples were also taken. Liver, meat and blood samples were digested by the method of Kechoui et al. (2013). For the analysis of blood and tissue samples, ICP-OES (model: Optimum 7300 DV) was used at Isfahan University. At the time of animal slaughter, the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the carcass, including the weight of the heart, kidney, lungs, liver, and tail, along with the cold carcass and the hot carcass, were recorded. The resulting data were analyzed in the form of a completely randomized design using SAS software (2003). Means were shown as Least Squares (LSMEAN) along with standard error and mean comparisons at a significance level of five percent.

The results of this study showed that the use of copper sulfate and copper nano oxide at the levels of 10 or 20 mg/kg dry matter of the diet had no significant effect on the performance parameters of fattening lambs, in terms of body weight, live weight gain, dry matter intake and feed conversion ratio (P>0.05). Also, the findings of this research showed that the concentration of blood urea in 30 days increased significantly with CuS10 and CuN10 treatments (P<0.05). Other blood parameters such as glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, albumin, protein, BHBA, AST, ALT enzymes and antioxidant indices superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant capacity were not affected by the experimental treatments (P>0.05). The supplemental feeding of nano copper oxide increased catalase enzyme activity in blood samples (P<0.05). Copper concentration was increased in the liver significantly as a result of feeding 20 mg of copper in the form of copper nano oxide(P<0.05). Supplemental feeding of copper sulfate decreased the concentration of selenium in meat compared to the control group (P<0.05). Carcass characteristics including the percentage of hot carcass and cold along with the percentage of internal organs (tail, heart, liver, kidney and lungs) were not significantly different among the treatment groups (P>0.05).

According to the present results, the use of mineral and nano forms of copper at levels of 10 or 20 mg/kg dry matter of the diet had a significant effect on parameters such as blood urea, malondialdehyde, catalase enzyme activity, percentage of copper in blood and selenium in meat. However, no significant difference was observed in performance and most blood parameters, antioxidant indices, total antioxidant capacity, activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase enzymes, carcass characteristics of fattening lambs and clinical signs of poisoning in lambs of treatment groups. This shows that the levels used in this study did not have the potential of poisoning and health risks for the tested lambs. Considering the improvement of liver concentrations of copper in the treatment receiving copper nano oxide source; it seems that the use of 20 mg/kg of dry matter of copper nano oxide can be a useful strategy in reducing the disposal of this element and reducing environmental pollution.

The aim of this research was to study the effect of β-alanine levels on performance, quality characteristics of eggs and blood parameters of laying hens. In this research, 180 laying hens of "Hy-Line -W36" at the age of 78 to 86 weeks were used in five treatments and six replication (six hen in each replication). Experimental treatments included 5 level of 0, 400, 800, 1200 and 1600 mg of β-alanine per kg of diet. The results of this experiment showed that the addition of β-alanine at any level of the diet caused an increase in feed consumption in the whole period (P˂0.05). The addition of 400 mg of β-alanine per kg of the diet had more shell weight per surface area in the whole period (P˂0.05). The β-alanine treatments at any level of the diet caused an increase in VLDL concentration at the age of 84-86 week compared to the control treatment. The concentration of cholesterol in the yolk at the age of 82-84 week was higher in hens feed with a diet containing 800 mg per kg β-alanine than control birds (P˂0.05). In general, the results of this research showed that 800 mg of β-alanine per kg of diet can increase feed consumption, VLDL concentrations and egg yolk cholesterol.